In a continuous casting installation, molten metal collected into a ladle is first placed in a tundish and, in turn, supplied in predetermined quantities to a mold for continuous casting. The tundish, after each time of use, is subjected to repairs, such as renewal of lining, and then preheated for use in a next cycle of pouring operation. Therefore, two tundishes are alternately employed for one continuous casting machine.
Conventionally, an apparatus employed for tundish changing purposes includes a transport rail extending laterally from a pouring position, and a shift rail placed at the end of the transport rail which extends in a direction perpendicular to the transport rail. A shift truck movable reciprocally along the shift rail is mounted on the shift rail. Placed on the shift truck are a pair of mounting rails adapted to be selectively connected to the transport rail upon movement of the shift truck. Preheating devices are disposed at opposite ends of the shift rail so that when one of the mounting rails is connected to the transport rail, the other mounting rail is located at the position of one of the preheating devices. The two tundishes are respectively mounted on the tundish transport trucks.
When one of the tundish transport trucks is at the pouring position, the shift truck shifts so that one of the mounting rails is connected to the transport truck to enable the one tundish transport truck to be mounted thereon. In this case, the other tundish transport truck is mounted on the other mounting rail, and the other tundish on this truck is preheated by one of the preheating devices.
Upon completion of the pouring operation, the one tundish transport truck is transferred onto the one mounting rail via the transport rail. Then, the shift truck moves so as to enable the other tundish transport truck to be transferred onto the transport rail. Conversely, the tundish on the one tundish transport truck is preheated by the other preheating device.
One drawback of such prior art arrangement is that a large bed space is required for reciprocal movement of the shift truck. Another drawback is that two preheating devices are required because of the presence of two preheating positions for one continuous casting machine.